For rates and more
information about advertising in the Santa Fe Reporter's Special Issues
and Locals' Guides to Santa Fe , please call our advertising department
at 505-988-5541 or send an email to advertising@sfreporter.com

Best Community Event/Festival

When We Want to Come Together

1 Will Shuster’s ZozobraGates open at 3 pm, Thursday, Sept. 10
Burning at dusk
Fort Marcy Parkzozobra.com
“It’s been a bad year,” Zozobra moans at SFR when we get him on the phone to let him know he’s won for SFR readers’ Best Community Event. “All the public, they are out of work, they have no money, they can’t get a job, there’s no health insurance, people litter and throw cigarettes out the window, stupid people get in vehicles and don’t understand they can’t drive when they’re on alcohol. It’s a bad year in our community.” Pausing, Zozobra takes a tortured breath and adds: “There’s going to be plenty of gloom to burn away this year.”

And burn it will. As for getting your gloom into Zozobra’s innards, SFR will once again be collecting gloom at our office (look for more information in forthcoming issues of the paper) and on the field the day of the event.

As for that event, Ray Valdez, event producer of Will Shuster’s Zozobra (and the human through which Zozobra speaks), says gates will open at 3 pm, with music before the burning by Sol Fire, the Sean Healen Band and Gordon Free Band. And to acknowledge the tough economy, Zozobra is now free for children under the age of 10 (it was previously under 6). Tickets will cost $5 in advance and $10 at the gate. Proceeds, of course, benefit youth scholarships given by the events’ sponsors, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe and Downtown Kiwanis Foundation, as well as its grant program for area youths and the Key Clubs at Santa Fe High and Santa Fe Indian School. “We want to make Key Club a high school name across the world,” Valdez says. “These are high school students promoting community service and leadership skills.” This year, Zozobra also is offering 50 first-come-first-served RV spots. These must be prepaid. Email ray[at]zozobra.com or call 505-660-1965 for more info.

Also call if you’d like to volunteer to work at the event and mark your calendars for 5-8 pm, Sept. 4 at Warehouse 21, for the Zozobra art show. That night will also debut the 2009 Zozobra poster. And if you just can’t wait for Zozobra, hey, you can always follow @OldManGloom on Twitter.2 Santa Fe Bandstand, outsideinproductions.org/santafebandstand